*Charcoal* BBQ/Grilling

Brian?

ECO_Mental wrote: »

I always cook my chicken legs, thighs etc in the oven before they go on the grill...if nothing else to stop the missus saying "is this cooked? I think I can see raw meat" :mad: if she sees a bit of red she then proceeds to rip apart every single chicken leg looking for red meat.....BBQ ruined:rolleyes:


I only use the grill to crisp up the skin and give it that grilled flavor and its just as good. Nando's do this as well and the chicken I make this way is just as good if not nicer than Nando's (some macho peas as well boom! €70 saved)

Nandos is a low bar for chicken cookery! Every piece of chicken I've ever had from there is as dry as the Sahara.

The key to cooking chicken legs on the BBQ, is to use indirect heat. Sear them at the end for for crisp skin. Small amount of smoker at the start of the cook. Bob's your uncle.

Johnnyhpipe

rubadub wrote: »

Another trick is to cook chicken in advance. It could be steamed boiled or I precook stuff in the airfryer at 80C. Renders it really well so many would prefer it than straight BBQ'd

Not a chance! Sear on direct heat, then leave over Indirect heat with lid on. Marinated chicken cooked on the bbq is fantastic.

BaZmO*

I see Lidl are doing a Tomahawk Steak from tomorrow. €18.99 for 900g, although I'd say most of that weight is the bone.




Looks cool on a BBQ but it's a bit gimmicky. Tbh though, I'd probably rather use the money to buy a thicker cut rib-eye steak from the butcher.

rubadub

BaZmO* wrote: »

I see Lidl are doing a Tomahawk Steak from tomorrow. €18.99 for 900g, although I'd say most of that weight is the bone.
.

aldi or lidl had these before and ended up having to sell lots off at half price.

budgemook

Yeah not sure of the point beyond the gimmick. Just go to the butcher and get a big thick cut of rib roast / steak.

dingbat

ECO_Mental wrote: »

I always cook my chicken legs, thighs etc in the oven before they go on the grill...if nothing else to stop the missus saying "is this cooked? I think I can see raw meat" :mad: if she sees a bit of red she then proceeds to rip apart every single chicken leg looking for red meat.....BBQ ruined:rolleyes:

I am indeed sorry for your troubles... Ireland has been fecking ruined by panic over seeing "red" in meat such as chicken and burgers. Especially the latter.

If you trust the source of the meat, then trust the temperature. If the temp says it's cooked, it's cooked.

Not sure how to convince your wife though...

Muahahaha

Need to get some lump charcoal- where & what is good lately? Are the Polish shops still selling it, if so what is a good brand.

Shemale

dingbat wrote: »

There should be a place on this forum for Tales Of The Stall :eek:

Stall tales

neris

Im using a Weber kettle to smoke meats (soaked chips on coal) get a good 3 hours out of the coals before they cool down but meats need hours more cooking. Thinking of 2 options to continue the cooking process. 1) Finishing off in the oven at a similar temp to bbq as the smoke flavour is already absorbed in the meat. 2) starting new coals on bbq with meat off till coals burn at suitable temp and putting meat back on. Any one opinions on either or other ideas.? I need a smoker but I'd be killed at the moment if I brought one home.

dingbat

neris wrote: »

Im using a Weber kettle to smoke meats (soaked chips on coal) get a good 3 hours out of the coals before they cool down but meats need hours more cooking. Thinking of 2 options to continue the cooking process. 1) Finishing off in the oven at a similar temp to bbq as the smoke flavour is already absorbed in the meat. 2) starting new coals on bbq with meat off till coals burn at suitable temp and putting meat back on. Any one opinions on either or other ideas.? I need a smoker but I'd be killed at the moment if I brought one home.

Three hours is not great. Both of your ideas are completely sound, and your second one would be sped up with use of a chimney. But here's a few other options...

1. try different ways of arranging your coals: google "weber snake method" and you'll see what I mean.

2. quietly purchase a hinged cooking grate for your weber - will allow you to refuel pretty easily

3. more quietly purchase an accessory like a "Slow n Sear". Haven't used one, but sources that I trust have raved about it.

Good luck.

dingbat

Muahahaha wrote: »

Need to get some lump charcoal- where & what is good lately? Are the Polish shops still selling it, if so what is a good brand.

Don't bother with the small bags of lump that you see around the place - too much small stuff and dust in it.

I like the big blue bags of Restaurant lump. A Room Outside has them on their website but no longer stocks them on site in the Glasthule shop unfortunately (can be ordered in). After that I like the Green Egg lump (more expensive, and you don't get the huge big lumps that you do in the blue bag, but it's consistently good). You'll see Baltic lump (black/grey bag) around the place also. It's fine.

davegilly

neris wrote: »

Im using a Weber kettle to smoke meats (soaked chips on coal) get a good 3 hours out of the coals before they cool down but meats need hours more cooking. Thinking of 2 options to continue the cooking process. 1) Finishing off in the oven at a similar temp to bbq as the smoke flavour is already absorbed in the meat. 2) starting new coals on bbq with meat off till coals burn at suitable temp and putting meat back on. Any one opinions on either or other ideas.? I need a smoker but I'd be killed at the moment if I brought one home.

See this post here - https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2055542022/101/#post103628287

davegilly

Muahahaha wrote: »

Need to get some lump charcoal- where & what is good lately? Are the Polish shops still selling it, if so what is a good brand.

Join the BBQ Life Ireland group on Facebook. There are a few people putting together a big order of 12Kg Restaurant Lumpwood on it. Just tell then how many bags you would like.

neris

dingbat wrote: »

Three hours is not great. Both of your ideas are completely sound, and your second one would be sped up with use of a chimney. But here's a few other options...

1. try different ways of arranging your coals: google "weber snake method" and you'll see what I mean.

2. quietly purchase a hinged cooking grate for your weber - will allow you to refuel pretty easily

3. more quietly purchase an accessory like a "Slow n Sear". Haven't used one, but sources that I trust have raved about it.

Good luck.

I had thought of point 2 but my worry would be adding more coals and the temp increasing alot and damaging the meat or over cooking it. I might try that snake I've seen it but be wary of it. Afraid the coals further down won't catch on .

Trent Houseboat

I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to barbecuing, but I was always told that you should cook on ashed over coals. With the snake method you're using a constant supply of fresh coals.
Is the ashed thing nonsense or is it because your meat is not directly over the coal?

Brian?

Trent Houseboat wrote: »

I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to barbecuing, but I was always told that you should cook on ashed over coals. With the snake method you're using a constant supply of fresh coals.
Is the ashed thing nonsense or is it because your meat is not directly over the coal?

The point of cooking over ashes coals is that they’ve reached cooking temperature and there won’t be any flames to burn the meat. That’s for grilling though, it doesn’t apply to low and slow smoking. You control the temperature of a slow cook using airflow, by throttling it using the vents on your bbq. The important part is to know what temperature you’re cooking at.

On a Weber kettle I use a temperature probe in the top vent.

Shakey_jake

Im gunna try the Daddy of all bbq in a couple of weeks!


THE BRISKET


Im really loving my ProQ Bullet smoker absolutely class piece of kit, holds 250 like a boss

Btw i bought some decent lumpwood off woodfuel.ie 40quid for 5 bags


Damn i love bbq (and beer)

Brian?

Shakey_jake wrote: »

Im gunna try the Daddy of all bbq in a couple of weeks!


THE BRISKET


Im really loving my ProQ Bullet smoker absolutely class piece of kit, holds 250 like a boss

Btw i bought some decent lumpwood off woodfuel.ie 40quid for 5 bags


Damn i love bbq (and beer)

Are you planning on using the lump wood for the brisket?

davegilly

Shakey_jake wrote: »

Btw i bought some decent lumpwood off woodfuel.ie 40quid for 5 bags

What size were the bags?

Shakey_jake

Brian? wrote: »

Are you planning on using the lump wood for the brisket?

I sure am

Shakey_jake

davegilly wrote: »

What size were the bags?

5kg bags

Captain Red Beard

Neris, I got heat beads (Aussie charcoal) in The Range a few weeks ago, I also got coconut husk charcoal there. Both brands held heat on my Weber kettle for hours.

Brian?

Shakey_jake wrote: »

I sure am

Would you like me to list 16 reasons why you shouldn't do that and save yourself a few quid? Or are you a lumpwood zealot like many around here?

Brian?

Captain Red Beard wrote: »

Neris, I got heat beads (Aussie charcoal) in The Range a few weeks ago, I also got coconut husk charcoal there. Both brands held heat on my Weber kettle for hours.

How much? I've used exclusively Weber charcoal briquettes for the last few years and find it first class for long cooks. I'd be interested in a cheaper option.

IMO lumpwood is for grilling. It's fantastic for grilling. You can smoke with it, I've done so myself, but it adds variability in that's really not needed. Especially with brisket. Especially with irish brisket which is smaller and less forgiving than American brisket.

budgemook

I find lump wood to be perfectly stable for smoking in my kamado joe. I had no complaints with the Weber briquettes either I suppose.

SVI40

dingbat wrote: »

3. more quietly purchase an accessory like a "Slow n Sear". Haven't used one, but sources that I trust have raved about it.

I've got 2 Slow n Sears, and I have to say, they are brilliant. 8 hours from a single chimney of coals.

Cuddlesworth

budgemook wrote: »

I find lump wood to be perfectly stable for smoking in my kamado joe. I had no complaints with the Weber briquettes either I suppose.

I've read that ceramic bbq's are more forgiving to the fuel you use, as they have far more radiant heat.

Brian?

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I've read that ceramic bbq's are more forgiving to the fuel you use, as they have far more radiant heat.

Definitely. But briquettes are still better in a ceramic bbq, objectively better once you stick to a good brand like Weber.

MaceFace

I cooked Brisket last weekend on my Egg with Weber briquettes. Second long cook I've used with them after exclusively using Restaurant grade or Egg lump.

I'd say that the temp was easier to control with the briquettes and I do like that the weber bag is resealable as I store my charcoal indoors.

What I don't know though is what it is made of. Their website says "free of any unnecessary binders and chemicals" and I have seen reference to a starch binder and that it is all natural.

In truth, I prefer good lump for no better reason that I don't like branded commodities or the idea that something as primitive as BBQ'ing with perfectly formed little pillows of coal. Saying that, for convenience I will probably buy another bag.

eeepaulo

I love barbeque, going to need to join a gym though.

I did pork burnt ends, the meat head recipe, I had the skin on which didn't turn to cracking, the meat was beautiful but just ended up cutting off the skin, should it work or do I need to do the skin separately? They were in at 250-275 for about 5 hours.